Martin Frizell to step down from This Morning after decade as editor

Martin Frizell is stepping down as the editor of ITV’s This Morning after a decade, it has been announced.

Frizell said he was leaving his role as he is “expecting my family priorities to change” and needed to free up time for them.

He has overseen the long-running morning show as it won numerous awards including a Bafta and seven National Television Awards.

Speaking about his departure, Frizell said: “Next year I’m expecting my family priorities to change so I need to free up time for them.

“I love my team at ITV and will miss them and the thrill of live telly but it’s an always on, 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment and I won’t be able to do both.”

He continued: “It’s been a privilege to lead truly great presenters and producers.

“Between us we’ve turned out more than six thousand hours of live topical telly, that’s around 20,000 items and whilst the gongs are always nice, I’m most proud of the change we made to so many lives, even saving a fair few with our campaigns on anti-suicide, menopause, testicular cancer and ‘how – to’ items.

“This juggernaut is the toughest test for any broadcast journalist.”

Frizell, who is married to TV presenter and journalist Fiona Phillips, joined ITV in 2014 as the editor of daytime show Loose Women and will leave This Morning in spring 2025.

Kevin Lygo, managing director of media and entertainment at ITV, said: “This Morning is an iconic show in ITV’s schedule, and heading the team for a decade, producing more than ten hours of original, topical, live television every week is an amazing achievement.

“As a programme and a brand, Martin has made sure the show continues to be a household name, an award-winning staple of the schedule with a growing successful presence in digital and social.

“On behalf of the ITV network, we thank Martin and wish him the very best for his future ventures.”

ITV said that Frizell’s replacement will be announced in due course.

The show has reached more than 20 million viewers in 2024, making it one of the most watched shows on ITVX, and the show recently celebrated more than one billion views across its social platforms.